By Chris Vannini

Detroit Free Press Special Writer

Chris Vannini is the managing editor of the Spartans blog The Only Colors. His opinions do not necessarily reflect those of the Detroit Free Press nor its writers. Read his column every Monday here and follow Vannini on Twitter at @ChrisVannini.

Before a football game with new divisions has even been played, the Big Ten has quickly become the old Big 12.

When the conference announced it would move from Legends/Leaders to East/West, it was clearly going for more of a geographical fit rather than competitive balance.

MSU had hoped to be in the West to play in Chicago more frequently, but it also would have helped competitive balance. Nevertheless, MSU is in the East, and it’s hard to find anyone who is truly upset with the East/West split.

But the East is loaded more than anyone could have expected. Michigan State won the conference and the Rose Bowl. Ohio State posted another undefeated regular season and reached the Orange Bowl. Michigan is still a very talented team. Rutgers and Maryland both reached bowl games this season.

But the division has been shaken up even more with Penn State hiring James Franklin. Bill O’Brien kept the ship afloat, finding more success in two years than anyone could have predicted when NCAA sanctions came down. Now Franklin is set to take it even higher.

Penn State still has to deal with some postseason bans and scholarship limitations, but O’Brien recruited well. Franklin posted back-to-back nine-win seasons at Vanderbilt for the first time in school history. He knows how to win when the odds are stacked against him. Oh, and Penn State may have the best young passer in the country and a future star in Christian Hackenberg.

It may take some time, due to limitations, but Penn State will be back in a big way. Until then, the Nittany Lions will be a tough obstacle for any team looking to win the division.

This is the old Big 12, when Oklahoma, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech and Oklahoma State were part of a loaded South division, while Nebraska was basically all alone in the North, save for a few good seasons from Kansas State, Missouri or Colorado.

The Big Ten West features solid teams in Nebraska and Iowa and an always-good Wisconsin program, but the competition in the division isn’t nearly as difficult as the East.

If the Big Ten is going to improve its national reputation, it has to start with quality competition from within. That process is underway in at least one division.